Elaina Barber
South Bend, IN

I worked in a kindergarten classroom my senior year of high school and those kids didn’t care about the color of everyone else’s skin or even how they talked. The only way they knew any different was if their parents had told them something.

Myron Anthony,
South Bend, IN

I grew up my whole life in a predominately white city. I grew up thinking that Christopher Columbus was a hero. I grew up believing that ancient pharaohs were white. I grew up believing that Africa is a dirty continent full of unhealthy people and wild animals. I believed all of these things because these are the things that were taught to me in school from kindergarten throughout high school. I believe that our education system in America has failed on teaching us the proper African/African American history. African American people have invented a lot of things and completed a lot of important task in America. Africa is the money maker for multiple countries throughout the world but we do not know that. Our education system has failed to inform us about these things and I believe have created this disguise that white individuals are the master minds behind everything. I put “free them” because their history should be know, their names should be in those text books, we are equal and just as important to this countries success as any other race.

Moira Dyczko,
South Bend, IN

Tyler J Fennessee,
South Bend, IN

Chrissie Lai,
South Bend, IN

‘They all look alike’…..I’m Vietnamese.
“Oh, I thought you were Hawaiian because of your complexion. Oh well, every Asian look alike”
A conversation I had with a customer at my job

Anna Ortega,
South Bend, IN

A professor said this to me after giving a presentation in class. Why? Because I’m not white? Because I’m a woman? Because I’m Latina? Probably all of the above.

Beth Marchant,
South Bend, IN

I often feel like I could commit the most grievous crime, yet I would never be suspected because I am a white woman. I grieve for people of color and others who are often accused of things that they have not even thought of doing. I teach students from middle school through college – many of whom fall into this category – in hopes that I may give them more tools to handle situations in which they are unfairly stereotyped or categorized.

Lucie Horvath,
South Bend, IN

Given my white privilege, practicing humility is so important when it comes to educating and trying to improve myself. I am not in a position to make assumptions about other people and their experiences, but still, unlearning my instinct to judge differences is an ongoing process. In order to make our society welcoming to all, we must have an open mind, listen to the oppressed, and do whatever we can to treat all as equals.

Barbara White,
South Bend, IN

Race is deep and multilayered. Race is long-standing. Race is the DNA of USA. Race is insidious, outright, and unrecognizable to most folks who aren’t looking for it. Race is dehumanizing. Race is power, control, and money. Race is privilege and entitlement. Race is exploitation and colonization. Race is assumptions and lazy thinking. Race was created by white people for white people yet is denied by white people. Race makes me angry. Race divides to keep folks down. Race divides to keep folks up. Race makes folks fat and happy. Race is advantage. Race is embedded in the US culture. Race is covered up so well it is impossible to fully know and understand. Race is hard to destroy. Race is pain. Race is barrier. Race influences sports, friendships, music, dance, art, literature, health and healthcare, business, education, housing, nutrition, love, sex, gender, the law, clothes, food, dancing, shopping, natural disasters, getting up in the morning and going to bed at night, employment to name just a few. Race is anger. Race is silence. Race is unknowing. Race is ignoring the other. Race is blinding. Race destroys.